In order to sell goods and services at relatively low prices, sales volume needs to increase. As such, sellers who can establish a name and a large volume of sales across the state, country, or even across the world, can afford to sell their goods and services at relatively low prices compared to smaller local sellers.
A seller's willingness to sell large volumes of goods at relatively low prices, and a buyer's desire to purchase goods at the lowest price, tends to drive buyers to purchase from large regional, national or even multi-national retail outlets. Thus, the buyer is driven away from the small local “mom and pop” stores of the local communities. If a buyer chooses to avoid purchasing goods or services from the small “mom and pop” stores of the local community, these stores cease to exist. With the loss of these stores, a piece of the community also ceases to exist. Accordingly, there exists a strong need to find a way to balance a buyer's desire to purchase goods and services at relatively low prices, with the need to maintain links to the local community.
Other than buying goods or services from the local community, a buyer of today can choose to purchase goods or services, or find information, on the Internet. However, to do so, a buyer must conduct a search of a great deal of information existing on the internet, and thereafter must progressively attempt to narrow the search until the desired good, service or information is found. Thus, there exists a need to find a quick and efficient way to locate providers of goods, services or information specifically desired by the buyer. Further, there also exists a need to find a way to tie the Internet to the local community of the buyer.